Lantern.



L. G. SPENCER.

LANTERN.

' APPLICATION FILED 0OT.16, 1913. '1, 1 24,848. Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

INVENTOR:

L. G. SPENCER.

LANTERN.

APPLICATION IILBD 001216, 1913.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

' NITED STA nron.

AEN"

LLOYD GILBERT SPENCER, 0;? CHICAGO,-ILLINOIS.

LANTERN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 12, 1915.

Application filed October 1c, 1913. Serial no. 795,500.

To all :whom itmag concern Be it known that I, LLOYD GILBERT SPEN- CER,'8. citizen of the- United States, and a resident of the city of Chicago, inthe county type commonly known as railroad lanterns,

al hough my invention is adapted to be used for various purposes other than signaling and other railroad work. The lantern may also be furnished with an auxiliary oil. or

gas lamp for use in emergencies when they electric lamp gives out.

One of the principal objects of my invention is to provide a simple andefficient lantern, carrying its own oil supply and its own source of electric energy, preferably in the form of thewell known dry battery, the lantern being provided with simple and ethcient circuit controlling means, the same being preferably operated by means of a bail or handle by which also the lantern maybe suspended and carried about. A

Other objects of the invention will be disclosed in the following specification.

The invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and combination of various devices and parts, as illustrated'in' the accompanying drawings andfully de scribed in the following specification.

in the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a general vie-w in front elevation of a lan' tern constructed according to myinvention': Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the upper part of such a lantern; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of such upperpart, taken along a line at right angles to the section shown in Fig. 2, and is a sectional view similar to Fig. 2, showing the lantern bail raised and the circuitcontrolling devices in the circuit closing position Fig. l is e sectional view similar to Fig. 3, but showing the bail lowered on one'side of the lantern and the. circuit open; Fig. 5 is a similar sectional view, showing the bail lowered on the opposite side of the lantern to that shown in Fig. 4, and the circuit closed; Figifizisazsectionaliviewsimilar to 2, but showing'the circuit opened as hereinafter described; Fig. 7 is a view of another modified form of the invention,ipartic-ularly of the circuit controlling devices, Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 11 are detail views hereinafter more particularly described, and F ig.- l2 1s a general view partly in section showmg an auxiliary oil or gas lamp for use in connection with the other features of the invention.

In carrying my invention into efiect, in the embodiments thereof which I have selected for illustration and description in thisapplication, I provide a lantern, which I have shown in Fig. 1 ofthe accompanying drawings as of a-well-known type, comprising a base l5, a protectingframework comprising curved vertical members 16 and a circular horizontal member 17, and a top comprlsing a flaring portion 18 and a cylindrical portion 19 capping the same.

A bail or'handle 20 is pivotally secured to the cap 19, being adapted as is usual in lanterns of this type, to swing downward on either side of the lantern or to be elevated and used as a handle for carrying the lantern about. 1 Y

The dry cells 91- or other source of electric current are contained in the hollow base portion 15, the bottom 22 of which base portion is hinged at 23 so thatit can be opened to insert, remove or replace the battery, be-

' ing secured by a spring catch or other suitable means. Proper contact strips or'other suitable devices forming part of the electric circuit are provided in the bottom portion 15, contacting with suitable contacts on the battery, and one or more-wires forming part of the electric circuit lead upward to the circuit controlling devices in the upper part of the lantern as will be hereinafter more particularly described, y

The arrangement or" the battery. and the contacts for taking the current therefrom may be of any suitable type and arrange-. ment,and as the same form no part of my present invention, they need not be described in detail. The circuit leading to the controlling devices in the upper part of the lantern may consist in part of a wire running through one of the upright frame members 16, which are hollow and which are accordingly well adapted to serve as a sheathing for-such wire; and a part of the return circuit may if desired be made through the.ira'meworlrv of the lantern in. a

manner which will be well understood, the wire forming a part of the said circuit being of course in such case,properly insulated from the framework. An electric lamp 24 issuitably placed in the lower part of the lantern; this lamp is preferably ofthe well known type of small incandescent bulbs, having a screw base which is, secured in a. suitable socket 25 which is provided with the usual contacts.

The socket 25 is rigidly secured to the top of a dome-shaped support 70. The electric circuit leads from the socket 25, one part thereof goingtothe battery and the other to the circuit controlling devices in the up per part of the lantern, hereinafter to be described.

Toward one side of the above-mentioned dome-shaped support 70 is an opening 'throughwhich the burner 71 of an oil tank or gas generator 7 2 is adapted to pass. The tank or generator is dome-shaped, and 1s adapted to fit under the dome-shaped support 70. At one side of. the base of the dome-shaped support 70, I provide a laterally extending lug 75, (see Fig. 12) adapted to support one side of the tank or generator '72. At the opposite side of the said domeshaped support 70 I provide a laterally extending support 76 adapted to hinge downward, but held in the horizontal position by the spring 77. When it is desired to insert the tank or generator 72 into place under the dome-shaped support 70, the bottom of the lantern is unhinged and the batteries temporarily removed. The support 76 is then hinged downward, allowing the tank or generator 72 to be inserted so that one side thereof shall rest on the lug 75, and the tube 71 passing through the opening provided for the purpose in the support 70. The

hinged support 76 is then released, so as to "support the side of the tank or generator 72 opposite to the side supported by the lug 75. The batteries may now be replaced and the bottom of the lantern closed; At the outer end of the tube 71 is removably secured a burner adapted for the combustion of oil or gas. This burner may be removed for the purpose of filling the tank or generator, and afterward replaced. 1

Referring now more-particularly to Figs. 2, 3, 4 and 5, itfwill be seen that located within the lower part of the cap 19 is a transverse rod 30 the ends of which are secured by screws 31. This rod 30 is of fiber or other suitable'non-conducting material, and is provlded with a sleeve 32 of sheet brass or other'suitable conducting material, the same being secured to the rod '30 by a set screw 33. A recess 34 is cut in one-side of the rod 30 to receive the disk 40 hereinafter described. The conducting sleeve 32 is connected with. one branch of the electric'circuit leading to the lamp socket 25.

plane ofthe disk, as is shown at 43 in Fig. 2.

The rod 41 is journaled in the cap 19 suiii- -ciently loose to permit of easy rotation, and

it also has, normally, some slight longitudinal play; a helical spring 44 (see Fig. 2) is provided, one end of which bears against the inside of the cap 19 and the other against the disk 40, taking up such play and tending. to push the rod 41 toward the left in Fig. 2. The bail 20 is secured to the rod 41, at one end by the screw 45 and at, the other end by the thumb screw 46, the rod 41 at that end being screw-threaded to receive same. In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 2 the screw 45 is tightened upon the bail 20, so that the bail is fast with the rod 41 and so that swinging the bail operates to rotate the rod.

It will be obvious that screwing down the thumb screw 46 slightly compresses or fiattens the cap 19 and tends to draw the rod 41 to the right in Fig. 2 andthereby to draw the disk 40 away from the sleeve 32 and into the position shown in Fig. 6. On the other --hand, loosening the thumb screw 46 has the and the lamp 24 will light, but when the disk 40 and sleeve 32 are electrically disconnected the circuit will be open and the lamp dead. The part of the circuit leading to the rod 41 may if desired comprise the metallic top of the lantern and the upright frame member 16, as above suggested.

The top of the lantern, comprising the portions 18 and 19 is hinged to the frame, and a suitable spring is provided to hold same when it is closed down upon the frame, in a manner which will be well understood.

A glass globe56 (see Fig. 1) of the usual type may be provided if desired, and in order to obviate the necessity of fitting this globe exactly into the space between the base 15 and the hinged top of the lantern and thus preventing the globe from rattling and possibly being broken, a spiral spring 54 may be interposed between the top of the glass globe and the inner surface of the hinged top.

The operation of the particular embodie s s described has-follows: lrllhen.;t he ihisiin its at rasi en s hQwn-in Fig -1 lend the rod 'a1i. -di are nsue position that the periphery of said diskis 1n electricalcontact with the, sleeve32. The circuit is therefore closed and the current passes through .the lamp 24c and lights the same. Whenthe bail is swung over into position shown in Fig. .4, the disk 40 is;rotated so that the notch or recess inthe periphery thereof is adjacent to the sleeve'32 and the disk-4O is therefore ,not in electric contact with said sleeve and the circuit is therefore open and the lampdead. ,When

the bail is swung to the other .sideof the lantern, that is to sayin the position shown in Fig. '5, the circuit is closed and the lamp burning: The position shown inFigs. 2and 3 is that adapted to carrying the lantern with the lamp lighted. The positionshown in Fig t is that proper when the lantern is out of use, and the position shown in Fig. 5 is that employed when the lightais desired but the lantern is not to be carried about and the bail is preferably-swung downward out of the way. When it is desired-to carry the lantern about by means of-the bail and yet allow the circuit to remainopen and-the lamp dead, the thumbscrew .46-is operated in such a Way as to draw the disk 40 outof contact with the sleeve-32. 'The edges 43 of the peripheral notch of the disk 40 are bent or twisted as shownin Fig. 2 in .caderthat the said edges may easily slide over the end of the sleeve 32 when the disk is rotated from theposition shown in Fig. 4 into the position shown, 'for instance inFig. '3; were it not for this bending or twisting of the circuit-controlling disk. in this said edges, the notch of said disk 40 would be apt to straddle over the sleeve 32 and prevent the disk from being rotated so as to allow the bail to be elevated.

In case, through any accident, or on account of the electric battery becoming worn out or the lamp burning out, the electric lamp should become inoperative, the top of the lantern is unhinged, thus allowing the globe 56 to be removed and the oil or gas lamp lighted and used in place of the electric lamp, the globe of course being replaced after the lamp is lighted. i

in Fig. 8 I show a modified form of the figure, 50 represents the disk, fast on the shaft 41 as in the form already described, but instead of an opening or notch as in the first deform, a portion the disk is pressed ilg eat of the n piane oi disk as tn rec stein, which. percircuit net-ism p pace in i e he me h nism- 4=1 bymeans of the mille fil s f m a dis s sn edge Vi is shown bearin a form just descr bed, and a spring 454: 0 er sizes as has already been described. he

mer t of .theinvention which ,bas-fisttse :an d-ified n m is 5. .i en i i I bail 5 5 in this form however is loose on the rod 41,-being held loosely thereon at one end by the milled head 56 and at the other end bya-nut 57. This modification of the inventionis, adapted for use where it is desiredto carry the lantern and to elevate or depress the said bail as desired without affecting the circuit, the circuit being controlled in rotating the rod head 56.

;-Figs. 9,'10.and 11 .are detail views showing thesmallbracket or fitting in which are set the rods 30 and 4]. (see Figs. 2 and 6).

about by the bail Fig. ;9 is a view of one of such brackets showing the rods 30 and 41 in transverse section along the line w-m of Fig. 6 and Fig. 10'is a view of one of said brackets showing the rods in vertical section along the line y-y of.Fig. 6; Fig. 11 is a pers ective View ofone ofthe brackets stan 'ng alone. a

thus described my invention Letters Patent; is as follows: i

1. in an electric lantern the combination with-4a supporting frame or casing, an electric lamp, a source of electric energy, and ,a

circuit; of means for controlling said cir- Having what I c aimfas new and desire tosecure by means comprising a disk on said rotatable rod, and means adapted to rotate said first named rod and also to carry the lantern, said means comprising a bail rigidly secured to the ends of said first named rod.

2. In an electric lantern the combination with a supporting frame or casing, an electric lamp, a source of electric energy, and a circuit; of means for controlling said circult comprising a rotatable rod journaled in the said frame of casing and connected with one it circuit, a second rod supported e o casing and sen-nested with and conductrere d rod fast on said rotatable rod, said disk being provided with a peripheral opening or notch, and means adapted to rotate said first named rod and also to carry the lantern, said means comprising a bail rigidly secured tothe ends of said first named rod.

3. In an electric lantern the combination with a supporting frame oreasing, an electric lamp, a source of electric energy, and a clrcuit; of means for controlling sald cir- 1 cuit comprising a rotatable rod journaled in the said frame or'casing and connected with,

one side of said circuit, a second rod sup- ,ported by said frame or casing and connects ed with the other side of said circuit, and conducting means secured to said first named rod and adapted to make or break with a supporting frame or easing, an elec;

tric lamp, a source of electric energy, and a circuit; of means for controlling said circuit comprising a rotatable rod ournaled 1n the said frame or casing and connected with one side of said circuit, (a second rod supported by said frame or casing and connected with the other side of said circuit, a eucuit closer on said rotatable rod adapted to contact with the circuit terminal on said second named rod, and means adaptedto rotate said first named rod and also toicarry the lantern, comprising a bail rigidly secured to the endsof said first named r0d.

' 5.. As a new article of'manufacture, a lantern comprising a frame, an electric lamp,a

base of convex form, therefor, a source of electric energy located Within said lantern, a c rcuit, means for opening and closing said circuit, a detachable receptacle adapted to fit within said base and to contain combustible material, and a burner'rigidly at tached to said receptacle and projecting through said base.

6. As a new article of manufacture, a Ian tern'comprising a'frame, an electric lamp,

a dome-shaped base therefor, a source of electric energy located Within said lantern, a circuit, means for opening and closing said, circuit, a detachable dome shaped recep'-' tacle adapted to fit within said dome-shaped base and to contain combustible material, and a burner rigidly attached to said domeshaped receptacle and said dome-shaped base.

projecting through In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 1st day of October,

1913, in the presence of two subscribing Wii'r nesses. r I

LLOYD GILBERT SPENCER.

Witnesses:

ROBERT T. CLARK, FLORENCE M. GRAY- 

